wake up (your sleeping heart)
by myeveryday
Summary: Five times Felicity got distracted by Oliver working out, and one time he got distracted by her. Or, that time Felicity Smoak was grateful to whoever had invented the salmon ladder.
**I am not ashamed to say that this fic was inspired by every workout montage that Oliver has ever done.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This story title comes from the song "Wake Up" by The Vamps.**

* * *

 **first.**

Damn.

Felicity knew that she should be doing research on Oliver's latest target, but… _damn_.

How in the hell could she concentrate when he was hanging upside down without a shirt on?

Felicity watched as Oliver twisted side to side and then curled his body up into a crunch. He slowly straightened back out, and Felicity's eyes widened at the impressive control Oliver had over his body. He extended his arms over his head, and Felicity's eyes followed the straight, hard lines of muscle.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Felicity knew that she should stop staring. At some point, Oliver was going to look up and realize that Felicity was blatantly checking him out. But she just couldn't seem to make herself stop.

Abandoning her search completely, Felicity rested her chin in her hand and propped her elbow on the table. Oliver twisted from side to side once again, and Felicity wasn't entirely sure if she actually let out a sigh of appreciation, but she hoped that Oliver hadn't heard it.

There were some nights when Felicity was certain that she was insane for agreeing to help Oliver Queen in his quest for justice. She questioned what she was really doing—she was only the IT girl, after all. She had no busy playing sidekick to Starling City's vigilante.

In the two weeks since Felicity had agreed to help Oliver, however, there were some nights that Felicity truly believed she was making a difference. She was going to help save this city, and that made her feel alive.

Watching Oliver work out certainly had its perks, though. Oliver completed several more reps and Felicity couldn't bring herself to look away. Sitting across the room at her desk, Felicity was just far enough away from him that she could see that his chest, abdomen, and back were covered in scars and tattoos, but she couldn't make out the details.

Oliver Queen was completely captivating. She wanted to know more about him, but she also knew that she couldn't push him. Oliver trusted her enough to tell her about his secret, and Felicity could only hope that he would open up to her further.

For now, Felicity would settle for watching Oliver work out. He uncurled his body again and let his arms hang over his head. Felicity's eyes followed the planes of his abdomen and down his chest. It was only when she got to his face that she realized he was staring at her, too.

Once again, Felicity couldn't bring herself to look away. Her eyes stayed locked with Oliver's, and he continued to hang from the bar upside down. He was challenging her; she could see the glint in his eyes and the upturned corner of his mouth.

Finally, Felicity looked away. She heard Oliver drop gracefully to the floor, and she hoped that he couldn't see how much she was blushing.

* * *

 **second.**

Turning in her chair, Felicity rolled her eyes when she heard grunts coming from the training mat. Earlier, when Digg and Oliver had started sparring, Felicity had tuned it out. They had been working together for months now, so Felicity had become adept at focusing on her work while the two men trained together.

Things were tense at the Foundry. Oliver was finding out more and more about Malcolm Merlyn's plan, and they were in the middle of trying to come up with a plan to stop him. They were running out of time, and Oliver was handling the stress by beating the crap out of just about everything.

Oliver and Digg had been sparring for almost an hour and a half now. Felicity had no idea how either of them were still standing. She had been through several training sessions with Digg, and she always needed at least three days to recover from them.

Of course, Oliver was different. Felicity glanced up from her monitors just as Oliver turned to face her in all his shirtless glory. Oh yes, Oliver was definitely different.

Felicity's lips parted as Oliver rolled his shoulders and swung his arms back and forth. He took a swig from his water bottle and turned to face Digg, taking up a fighting stance once again. At this point, Digg was blocking Oliver's swings more often than not. Oliver was practically working himself to exhaustion, but he wasn't going to stop.

Felicity leaned back in her chair and watched the muscles in Oliver's back flex. He was so incredibly strong, but Felicity knew that he was unbelievably gentle. She was fascinated by the way that Oliver could be so lethal, but then put a gentle hand on her shoulder and offer to listen to her if she wanted to talk about her day.

Oliver pivoted as Digg swung out. He jumped over the leg that Digg swept under him, but he didn't dodge Digg's next hit fast enough. Digg's fist slammed into Oliver's cheek and he went down, hitting the mat hard.

"Oh my god!" Felicity exclaimed as she jumped from her chair. "Oliver!"

Digg was already helping Oliver to his feet, but Felicity pressed one hand to his chest to stop him from moving as she gently took his chin between her fingers. She turned his face and winced when she saw that his cheek was already swelling. The skin was red and angry, and Felicity didn't doubt that a bruise would be forming soon.

"Man, I'm sorry," Digg said. He raised an eyebrow as he watched Felicity inspect Oliver's face, but she ignored him. "Are you okay?"

Oliver didn't push Felicity away and instead let her fuss over him. "I'm fine," Oliver said. "Just give me a second and then we can start again."

Diggle chuckled and shook his head. "You need to take a break, Oliver. In fact, a couple of days without sparring should work out."

Oliver's brow furrowed into a dark glare, but Felicity took his hand and guided him towards one of the chairs. She pressed on his bare chest again until he was sitting. Oliver's shoulders relaxed, but she missed the amusement in his eyes. She had a feeling that he was just humoring her, but it was important that he was letting her do it anyway.

"Digg is right," Felicity agreed. "You need a couple of days to relax. And you definitely need some ice."

Felicity bustled over to the freezer and pulled one of the icepacks out it. She wrapped it in a towel and brought it over to Oliver. As she made her way back across the Foundry, she took in the sight of a shirtless Oliver sitting in her computer chair. That was truly a sight to behold.

She gave her head a little shake to distract herself from those thoughts, and she almost walked into the table for her efforts. Felicity heard Oliver choke back some laughter, and she would have glared at him if his laughs weren't so few and far in between.

Balancing herself with a hand on his chest, Felicity leaned forward and pressed the ice to Oliver's cheek. She heard Oliver inhale sharply, and Felicity immediately worried that she had hurt him. She looked up into his eyes, only to find them dark and intense with something that she couldn't name.

It was then that Felicity became aware of the fact that Oliver still wasn't wearing a shirt. She stepped back and handed the ice to Oliver and wished that the floor would open and swallow her.

"Um, I'm just going to…" Felicity pointed somewhere behind her, since Oliver was sitting in her computer chair. "Yeah."

Felicity didn't think she had been imagining Oliver's chuckle as she walked away.

* * *

 **third.**

"Okay, I understand that we have to have these new identities or whatever so we can have a life and save the city, but isn't this taking things a bit far?"

Diggle leaned against the car and smiled indulgently at Felicity. "He's CEO, now. We have to tag along for right now."

Felicity grunted and took a long sip of her latte. "If Oliver asks, you're the one that brought the coffee." Digg laughed and nodded his head, and Felicity sighed again. "Why the hell is taking a run through the city, anyway?"

"I think Oliver was going crazy in his meetings," Digg told her. Earlier that day, Oliver had come bursting out of the conference room and had immediately disappeared into the bathroom in his office. He had emerged less than two minutes later in sweatpants and had declared that while everyone was breaking for lunch, he was going on a run.

So Diggle and Felicity went to pick up and lunch and coffee while Oliver worked out. Forty-five minutes later, they were waiting for Oliver in front of the Queen Consolidated building. Felicity was seriously considering just tearing into her food, because she was starving and she didn't know how much longer she could wait.

Luckily for Felicity, Oliver came running up the city block. He was dressed in gray sweatpants and a forest green hoodie, and Felicity could see the sweat glistening off of his forehead. She reached for the water bottle that they had brought and passed it over to Oliver.

He mumbled a thank you, and their fingers brushed as he accepted the bottle form her. Felicity couldn't help the way her eyes widened as she watched Oliver gulp down the cool water. Her eyes remained trained on the rapid pulse beating in his neck.

Sure, a shirtless Oliver working out in the Foundry was a sight to behold. Somehow, Felicity was equally attracted to Oliver in this way: sweaty and looking utterly comfortable in his workout clothes. Clearly, watching Oliver Queen work out was becoming one of her favorite pastimes. She wasn't sure what that said about her as a person, but Felicity certainly wasn't going to start analyzing it now.

"Do I have something on my face?"

"What?" Felicity blinked and jerked herself out of her little trance. She could hear Digg laughing quietly behind her, and she resisted the urge to shoot him a glare over her shoulder.

The corner of Oliver's mouth was lifted in a small smile, and he looked openly amused as he watched Felicity. "You're staring. Do I have something on my face?"

"Um." Felicity could feel her cheeks start to heat up. "Nothing. There's nothing. I wasn't staring, I mean, you're perfect. Wait, not perfect! Well, that's not to say that you aren't perfect, or that there's anything wrong, because there isn't. It's just… you're just…" Felicity huffed and brushed her hair out of her face. "I'm just going to stop talking now."

Oliver does that breathy little laugh of his that he does whenever she starts one of her rambles. He shakes his head and reaches up to squeeze her shoulder. Felicity's blush intensified, and she tried to ignore Digg's knowing look

"I hate both of you," Felicity mumbled.

* * *

 **fourth.**

Felicity hadn't had a particularly great day at work. Things at Queen Consolidated were very tense, especially given the fact that Oliver was doing his very best to avoid work. Felicity was doing her best to cover for him, and as a result was taking a lot of the Board's—and Isabel's—ire.

So she had escaped to the Foundry in order to get a few hours to herself. The Found was a safe place for her, and not just because her computers were there. The place where she met with Oliver and Digg each night was a haven of sorts, and Felicity felt truly at home there.

Thinking that she would be the only person in the Foundry tonight, Felicity had picked up enough takeout for a small army (because they needed the leftovers given how much food Digg and Oliver could put away) and had come armed with a few of her favorite movies. She could run a few scans to see if anything was happening in the city while she relaxed.

Felicity was surprised to find that Oliver was already down in the basement. Given his current state of undress and sweatiness, he had been down in the Foundry for at least an hour or two. He didn't look up when she entered, but Felicity knew that Oliver knew she was there. So she made her way over to the computers and didn't disturb him.

Instead of using any of the other equipment in the basement, Oliver was whaling on a punching bag. His workout pants were slung low on his hips, and he wasn't wearing any protective gear as his fist drove into the punching bag.

Felicity took a seat in front of the computers and popped in one of the movies. She pulled out a container of takeout and sat back, ready to enjoy her relaxing night. Instead of focusing on the movie that was now playing on her screen, however, Felicity found herself watching Oliver.

He had situated the punching bag just so on the training mat, so Felicity had the perfect view of him. She was close enough that she could clearly see the scars that decorated his chest, abdomen, and back. Felicity could make the tattoo of the Bratva star on the left side of his chest, and when he twisted, she could see the symbols running down the right side of his abdomen. Idly, in the back of her mind, she wondered what those symbols meant.

With the movie completely forgotten, Felicity instead watched Oliver as he continued to hit the punching bag. It wasn't often that she could sit and watch Oliver, uninterrupted and without being embarrassed. She couldn't bring herself to stop as her eyes traced over his form, taking in the scars.

Felicity's heart broke for all of the pain that Oliver had to suffer through. She had been there for one or two of the new scars, but the rest of them were like a map of Oliver's past. Felicity knew the Oliver Queen of now—she deeply respected and admired that man, and she was well on her way to being in love with him (even though she wasn't ready to admit to herself). But Felicity wanted to know all of the parts of Oliver, and she was willing to wait for him to share those things with her.

Felicity was busy studying the long scar puckering along the right side of Oliver's abdomen. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that Oliver had stopped hitting the punching bag. She wasn't even aware of the fact that he was walking towards her until the scar that she had been looking at so intently was practically in front of her nose.

Sitting up straight in her chair, Felicity shook her head and bit her lip. "Sorry," she squeaked. Her cheeks began to burn, and Felicity huffed in annoyance. So much for not being embarrassed. "Hi. Um, I hadn't realized that you were down here, but I didn't want to bother you, so I thought I'd just watch a movie and…"

She trailed off when Oliver came around the table of computers to stand next to her. He didn't say anything, but his face was soft and devoid of the tension she usually saw there. For once, his eyes were open and earnest as he gazed down at her.

Unable to help herself, Felicity stood up. She was so close to Oliver that they were practically chest to chest. His skin glistened and his shoulders rose and fell as he controlled his breathing while he came down from his workout. He still hadn't put on a shirt, which Felicity found both unfair and thrilling.

Oliver didn't move away from her, so Felicity reached forward and gently ran her fingers over the scar she had been studying earlier. Oliver shuddered and he released a shaky breath as Felicity traced the scar.

"Does it still hurt?" she whispered.

Oliver sighed and watched as her fingers moved from the scar on his abdomen to the one on the right side of his chest. He could still feel the phantom pains, and the nightmares reminded him of the wounds anyway.

"Not really," Oliver said instead, and it was kind of the truth. Felicity quirked an eyebrow, because she totally knew that he was lying. She didn't call him on it, though. Instead, her fingers circled the mark.

Suddenly, Oliver's hand caught hers. Felicity's eyes shot up to his, and she couldn't read the expression in them.

They stared at each other for several long moments before Oliver let her go. Felicity sank into her computer chair and took several deep breaths before she turned her attention back to the movie.

* * *

 **fifth.**

By far, Felicity enjoyed watching Oliver train on the salmon ladder more than anything else. There was just something about the sheer force of power and strength that Oliver displayed, that… well, it turned Felicity on, if she was being completely honest.

Oliver gripped the bar and started the workout. Once again, it was just Oliver and Felicity in the Foundry. Digg was having dinner with Lyla, and Felicity and Oliver had just kind of gravitated towards the basement of Verdant.

Things were still a little awkward after their failed date, but Felicity was glad that they could still be around each other. She missed Oliver—she missed being around him, and spending time with him.

(Felicity realized that this proved she was still in love with Oliver, no matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise. In light of the fact that Oliver was still convinced he had to be on his own, Felicity wasn't sure how long she'd have to wait for him to come to his senses. She was trying not to think about that right now, though.)

It was nice like these that were the easiest. Felicity and Oliver were in the Foundry together, doing their own thing but they were more than comfortable just being in each other's company. Felicity clicked away at her keyboard. The sound of the bar clanking against the ladder was almost comforting. It was like the Foundry's own soundtrack.

Leaning back in her chair, Felicity watched as Oliver moved up and down the salmon ladder. He made it look so effortless that Felicity was completely and utterly distracted. It wasn't just about watching the bulging muscles in his arms or the way he gripped the bar in his strong hands. Oliver had such a look of determination on his face that Felicity found undeniably attractive.

Felicity groaned under her breath and tilted her head back. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. Maybe she shouldn't have come to the Foundry at all, because she was thinking all sorts of inappropriate thoughts. This was just so unfair.

She was so distracted by her thoughts that she hadn't realized the clanking on the salmon ladder had stopped. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down and rubbed at her eyes under her glasses. When the hell had her life become some complicated? Even more so than it had been since she had met Oliver Queen in the first place?

"Felicity."

Felicity pulled her hands away from her face at the sound of Oliver's voice. She jumped a little in her chair when she realized that he was standing directly in front of her. His brow was furrowed as he looked down at her, but she refused to make eye contact with him. There was no telling what she would do if she looked into Oliver's hypnotizing eyes.

Felicity shot out of her chair and went over to one of the tables across the room, where Oliver housed his arrows. Despite the fact that Oliver generally told her to stay away from the table because she was completely clumsy, Felicity reached out and brushed her fingers over the display of arrows.

When she turned around, she realized that Oliver had followed her across the room and to the table. Felicity squeaked (oh god, _that_ was embarrassing) and darted over to another table. She had no idea what was happening, but she couldn't explain the excitement that was curling in her stomach.

Oliver followed her, and Felicity backed up until her back hit the edge of the table. She gripped the edge tightly in her hands and swallowed hard as Olive slowly advanced towards her. She had had dreams about this exact situation—a shirtless Oliver coming towards her, with _that_ look on his face.

"Oliver," Felicity breathed.

She could have sworn that he was smirking at her. "Felicity," he repeated.

Oliver was so close now that his chest brushed against hers. Felicity took a deep breath and her breasts brushed against his bare chest. Her breath hitched and she swore that her heart was about to beat out of her chest.

"Wh-what are you doing? Felicity stuttered.

"What are _you_ doing?" Oliver parroted back at her.

Felicity blinked at him and then licked her lips. It was impossible to form a full, coherent thought when he was standing that close to her. "What?" she repeated.

Oliver leaned closer to Felicity, but he still wasn't technically touching her. The scent that was coming off of him was addictive. He smelled like mint and something distinctly male, but he also just smelled like… Oliver. It was a scent that she associated just with him.

"You've been watching me since you joined the team," Oliver murmured. "Did you know that?"

"Of course I do," Felicity blurted. "Have you looked in a mirror lately? You're—" Felicity stopped talking abruptly and pressed her lips together. She had to stop talking _now_.

Oh, he was definitely smirking at her now. "I'm what?" he prompted.

Felicity narrowed her eyes at him. "Stop it," she demanded, but there was no snap behind her words. She didn't sound very convincing at all. In fact, her voice was all breathy and (dare she say?) sultry. She was into this, and Oliver knew it.

Damn him.

"Stop what?"

"You know what."

Felicity could still see his pulse throbbing in his neck as he came down from his workout. She licked her lips again and sucked in a shaky breath. Oliver closed the remaining distance between them and leaned down to nip at her jaw. Despite her best efforts, a soft moan escaped her lips.

"Oliver," Felicity breathed.

Oliver gripped her hips in his strong hands. His thumbs brushed against her sides, and she could feel his touch burning her skin through the fabric of her shirt. "It drives me crazy when you watch me like that," Oliver murmured against her skin.

Felicity arched against him and her hands flew up to grip his forearms. "Good crazy or bad crazy?"

"What do you think?" Oliver pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the soft skin of her neck, and Felicity practically melted in a puddle. What the hell was happening?

She almost wasn't surprised that Oliver had her pinned against a table and she, in turn, was pressed against him. The sexual tension between them had been thick and ready to bubble over for a while. Felicity didn't know what was going to happen after this, but she sure as hell was going to enjoy it now.

"Oh god," Felicity whispered. Oliver pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. His hands tightened, and he pulled her hips tight against his. She hummed low in appreciation as she slid her arms up to loop around his neck.

If Oliver didn't kiss her, Felicity was going to go insane. It was probably the worst idea she could have at that moment, but she wanted nothing more than to feel Oliver's lips on hers. Their first kiss had been filled with such sadness, and it had ended what could have been before it had even really started.

Felicity wanted a kiss with Oliver that was nothing but a shared, special moment between them. Something that wasn't heavy and weighed down with the guilt that they both felt. While they figured their lives out, Felicity would be able to hold on to this moment as hope for the future.

Oliver seemed to be thinking the same thing, because his lips descended upon hers just as Felicity stretched up on her tiptoes. Despite the heat between them moments before, their kiss was gentle and sweet. Oliver's lips moved tenderly over hers, and when they broke apart, Felicity was clinging to him.

Oliver stared into her eyes again and brought one hand up to cup her cheek. Felicity closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, enjoying the familiar moment. When Felicity opened her eyes, she saw that he was smirking again. Thankful for the levity that Oliver gave her, Felicity rolled her eyes and pushed against his chest.

Oliver Queen really was a piece of work.

* * *

 **sixth.**

Felicity finished wrapping her knuckles and turned towards the punching bag. She rolled her shoulders, swung her arms back and forth, and then let her fist drive into the punching bag. After years of watching Oliver and Diggle train this way, Felicity had to admit that this workout was highly therapeutic.

She wasn't typically one to physically fight, but letting out some of her frustrations via the punching bag was definitely working for her at the moment. Just like Digg taught her all those years ago, Felicity pivoted and landed her other fist into the punching bag.

She was so focused on her workout that she hadn't even noticed that she was no longer alone in the lair. It wasn't until she turned again that she caught sight of Oliver. He was leaning against her desk with his arms crossed over his chest, and she knew _that_ look.

"Hey." Breathing hard, Felicity brushed her sweaty hair out of her face and planted her hands on her hips as she tried to catch her breath. "When did you get here?"

"A couple of minutes ago." Oliver's eyes swept up and down her body, and she thought that she was on fire under his heated gaze. "But trust me: I would have shown up a lot sooner if I had known you were wearing that."

Felicity forgot that she was wearing only a pair of spandex shorts and a pink sports bra. She thought that she was going to be alone in the lair tonight, so she hadn't been that conservative with her workout clothes. She supposed now that it was payback for all those years she had to watch Oliver workout without a shirt on.

Felicity smirked at him and walked slowly towards him. "So do you want to help me train, or what?"

Oliver's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "You want to train?"

"Sure." Felicity headed over towards the mats and stopped in the center of them. She crooked her finger at him and was pleased when he made his way over to her. "Let's spar."

Oliver's gaze caused tingles to shoot through her entire body. In fact, he was making her want to throw the training to hell and just have her way with him right then and there. Then he pulled his shirt off, and Felicity let out a little sigh of appreciation.

"It is so unfair how hot you are," Felicity declared.

Oliver grinned at her and before she could even blink, he was coming at her. She blocked his advances, but she was well aware of the fact that they weren't even really sparring. This was some weird kind of foreplay, and it (not surprisingly) worked for both of them.

Oliver swept his foot under Felicity, and she jumped over it beautifully. She saw how impressed she was, and the way his eyes darkened because he was turned on so much. Thinking quickly, Felicity ducked under his outstretched arm and managed to trip him up. Oliver landed on his back, but before he could react, Felicity straddled him on the mat.

Pressing both hands to his chest, she grinned in triumph. "Well, hello there."

Oliver's large hands settled on her thighs. "That wasn't very nice," he teased.

"Please." Felicity snorted. "You spent years distracting me with your workouts. It's only fair that I finally got back at you." She could feel the evidence of his arousal under her, and she ground her hips into his for good measure, causing Oliver to groan.

Oliver's hips suddenly lifted, causing Felicity to gasp. He used the momentum to flip them over, and now she was pressed to the mat, on her back. Her legs fell apart and she cradled Oliver's hips between her thighs as he pinned her hands above her head.

"You're just asking for it," Oliver murmured as he ducked his head into her neck. He bit down on her pulse point, and Felicity moaned his name. She rocked her hips into his and she seriously wished that there weren't any clothes between them in that moment.

He kissed his way up her neck, across her jaw, and then he just skimmed his lips against hers. Felicity let out a huff of annoyance as she strained towards him, seeking his lips out. Oliver smirked and kept just out of her reach. With her hands pinned above her head (with only one of Oliver's hands, no less), she had no way of grabbing on to him so she could properly kiss him.

"Oliver," Felicity pleaded, and he dropped a kiss to the corner of her mouth before he nipped at her bottom lip playfully. In retaliation, Felicity bucked her hips against his and squeezed her thighs tighter around him. Oliver groaned, and then his lips were on hers in a deep, passionate kiss that took her breath away.

Somehow, without much space between their bodies, Oliver had managed to remove both his and her pants (Felicity attributed that particular talent to his ninja skills). He stripped her of her sports bra and stared down at her with dark eyes filled with appreciation and, most importantly, love.

"We can't do this here," Felicity breathed. But her legs were already parting to fully accommodate Oliver, and she arched into the hand he had cupped around her breast. "We'll get yelled at. Again."

Oliver bent and pressed another steamy kiss to her lips. "We can do whatever we want," he told her before he sank into her, causing Felicity to cry out. He held his hips still for the first moment, as he always did. "Besides, we're _married_ now."

Felicity rewarded him with a glowing smile and wrapped her legs fully around his waist. Together, they carried each other towards that sweet oblivion. After, as she lay curled in Oliver's arms on the training mat, she sent up some thanks to whomever it was that invented the salmon ladder.

* * *

 **I couldn't resist ending it with the fluff. :) Thanks for reading!**


End file.
